Important Notice

Lot 56

 

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The violent milieu of Prokash Karmakar’s early life drew him to the works of Picasso as a student in France. “He grew increasingly sensitive towards Picasso, becoming inspired by his depictions of violence and his paintings of bullfighting. The theme struck a chord with Karmakar, who had witnessed armed violence during the Partition protests. The suppressed agitation in his mind translated in the painted image being distorted and contorted, even... The violent milieu of Prokash Karmakar’s early life drew him to the works of Picasso as a student in France. “He grew increasingly sensitive towards Picasso, becoming inspired by his depictions of violence and his paintings of bullfighting. The theme struck a chord with Karmakar, who had witnessed armed violence during the Partition protests. The suppressed agitation in his mind translated in the painted image being distorted and contorted, even though the subject matter remained perceptible.” (India’s French Connection: Indian Artists in France, New Delhi: DAG, 2018, p. 384)

The present lot is an example of what art historian Sona Datta describes as Karmakar using “everyday disorder as a vehicle to express his inner feelings, his paintings reminisce on the past: some are personal, some are recollected from nightmares rather than dreams and some are drawn from the darkest moments of human history.” (Sona Datta, “The Paradox of Modernism: Art in Bengal After Independence”, Rob Dean and Giles Tillotson eds., Modern Indian Painting: Jane & Kito de Boer Collection, Ahmedabad: Mapin Publishing, 2019, p. 160-161)

FROM THE COLLECTION OF JANE AND KITO DE BOER

Jane and Kito de Boer’s collection is a rare survey of Indian painting from the late 19th century to the present day, covering major movements including photography, the Bengal School, the Progressive Artists from Bombay, and many different developments in Delhi and its environs since Independence.

This collection, one of the largest in private hands, is remarkable for its broad historical scope and represents critical periods in Indian art history. Besides notable names including F N Souza, M F Husain, and Somnath Hore, the collection also highlights the best works of lesser-known artists such as Prakash Karmakar, Nikhil Biswas, and J Sultan Ali who played a significant role in the development of Indian art. Alongside their strong aesthetics, the significance of many of the works in the collection is deepened by the de Boers’ personal association or encounters with several of the artists like Rameshwar Broota and Laxma Goud.

In their words, “One of the most important aspects of the collection is that it is a personal journey: it is our journey.... We are individuals following our passion and our collection is the sum of what we see and whom we meet. We have the art collection we have, with all its twists and turns.”

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